Insulator cap



Oct. 15, 1929. E E scHMlD ET AL INSULATOR CAP Filed June 9, 1927 der Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNEST E. SCHMID, DECEASED, LATE F HOLLIS, NEW YORK, BY CHLORITA SCOFIELI) SCHMID, EXECUTRIX, 0F HOLLIS, NEW YORK, AND WILLIAM H. SCHNEIDER, OF

FREEPORT, NEW YORK INSULATOR. CAP" Application tiled June 9, 1927. Serial No. 197,557.

This invent-ion relates to improvements in supporting means for third rails for electric railways, and particularly to insulator caps which support the third or power rail above the insulators.

The present means for supporting such electric conduits as third rails for electric railways is by either' a slotted insulator stool or some form of a supporting cap usually of malleable iron reinforced by webs resting on the insulator stool. However, the slotted insulators are traps for Water which, if it does not freeze and burst the support, will form rust which in time wedges the rail and causes a rupture of the insulator or rail due to expansion and contraction. The slotted insulator and the Webs to reinforce the cap form of support are also open to the serious objection that a broken contact shoe cannot freely drop l without striking some part of the rail or support. Such obstructions often cause serious accidents, overturning a section of the third rail, or short circulating the line.

It is the principal object of this invention,

therefore, to provide a webless insulator cap for the purpose of supporting third rails for electric railways which will avoid the above difficulties without sacriicing strength, cost or permanency.

It is another object of this invention to produce an insulator supporting cap for third rails in which the portion holding the web of the rail is of such proportions as will permit a broken contact shoe to drop without striking any part ofthe rail support.

It is still another object of this invention to produce a third rail supporting cap which will be unaffected by the elements and will not be subject to rupturing conditions of rust or freezing and will permit expansion and contraction of the rail under all conditions.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a supporting cap particularly adapted to third rails of T section which will firmly retain the third rail in position, be economical in construction and etlicient in service.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following de- 50. tailed description of the attached drawings which illustrate one form of embodiment to which the invention is adapted and in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an improved insulator cap according to our invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the combined insulator cap and third rail.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of supporting cap for supporting standard I rail inverted.

The insulating cap 1() shown in Fig. 1 and in det-ail in Fig. 2 may be formed of four parts, namely, the cap plate 12, the two webless U-shaped side plates 14 for holding the rail and, to prevent displacement of the cap 10 from the insulator 15, a cup-shaped member 16. This cup is attached by welding or riveting centrally below the cap plate 12 and is inverted and received in a suitable central aperture 17 in the insulator stool 15.

A T bar or T rail 18 is supported with its flat face or flange uppermost as shown in Fig. 2 to present the broad face 18 for contactwith the contact shoe of the locomotive or electric car (not shown) as is well known. The insulator stool 15 is supported on a receiving plate 19 provided with a cup-shaped projection 20 litting into a corresponding aperture 21 in the insulator stool to prevent displacement. This insulator receiving plate 19 is in turn usually supported in conjunction with the overhanging bracket 22 or the third i'ail protection board on the cross ties 23. Adequate lag bolts or spikes 24 retain all of the parts in position relative to the track. The means of supporting the insulator is shown in our Patent No. 1,532,836, issued April 7, 1925.

One of the particular features of this invention comprises supporting an inverted T bar or rail 18 as shown in Fig. 2 or an inverted standard I rail 28 as shown in Fig. 3 in webless side members 14 which are preferably attached by means of countersunk rivets 25 to the bottom plate 12. The upper portion of the side plates ai'e flared outward as at 12a and at the top serve as shoulders to support the fillets and under portion of the head of the rail 18. The upstanding side plates are substantially parallel and, due to the fact thatthe web 18b of the T bai' tapers,

the Contact with the rail is mainly along the underneath part of the head so that full expansion and contraction of the rail under heat or cold is permitted. Also along the base plate l2, the side plates 14 are again bent to be rigidly secured by the rivets 25 as heretofore mentioned. YThe smooth undersurface ofthe cap l2 rests solidly on the top of the stool l5 and byvmeans of the inverted cup 16, the rail is firmly supported against overturning.

From this construction, it is obvious that a secure, simple and effective means for supporting an inverted r`third rail permanently but permitting contraction and eX- pansion thereof has been provided. The proportions of the height of the plates 11i Vto the width are such that the usual contact shoe on the electric railwaysA becoming broken in service and dropping past the head of the rail 18 cannot come in contact with any part of the support, or insulator,

l'and further breaking of the shoe or plates,

overturning of the third rail,'short or the like are prevented.V l

In the modified form of embodiment, as shown in F ig. 3, the rail is of the usual carrying rail form, namely, of standard 1 type and is inverted-in a similar manner to the first form to provide a substantial contact area on top. In this construction the U- shapedlside plates Q6 are set further apart on the base plate '27 tov receive the rail 28. Here again the flared portions 26a of the side plates 26 act as supports for the rail flange without interfering with possible broken contact shoes and 'permitting clearance for all accidentalV displacements of the contact circuits shoe while the head of the I rail is firmly held between the plates.

These supporting caps are desirably made of steel by stamping and punching and after assembly `of thel parts are galvanized to withstand corrosion. It is to be particularly noted that the base of the cap is sufficiently large to completely cover the insulator and extend partially down theside thereof to prevent any Ywater from locating in any place where the corrosion or possible freezing will crack the insulator and rests smoothly on the top ofthe stool so that it has-no tendency to split the stool.

A more stable third rail is provided byth above construction than is otherwise possible. By using the rail in the heretofore proposed constructions and inverting it to provide the maximum contact area previded by the larger flange, the tendency to Yoverturn is increased. In this construction,

although the larger flange is the part of the third rail in contact with the contact shoe, the remainder of the insulator cap including the large insulator cap plate 12, acts as rigid supportfor the inverted rail andthe effective strength is substantially that of an bar in which the smaller flange of the equivalent- I bar is'the larger flange of the rail and the larger fiange of this effective equivalent 'I bar is the base of the insulating cap. The effective strength in such a construction is therefore seen to be greatly increased, alarger contact-area with less danger of overturning is provided, the cap may be made at a nominal cost, and assembly of the cap between the insulator stool and rail is relatively simple and does not require the use ofltools.

The principal idea of a webless supporting cap, Vfree from obstacles and of such strength as to retain an inverted rail or T bar in position, while permitting free eX- pansion and contraction thereof, is the substance of the invention and in practice will be found highly desirable from a standpoint u of economy and efficiency.

ln accordance with the patent statutes therefore, we have illustrated and described preferred forms of embodiment of our invention but it is to be understood that per- I sons skilled in the art may malle various modifications therein and that parts of the invention may be used without others without departing from; the spirit of the invention, described herein, or the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. An insulator cap for third rails, comprising a cap plate resting on an insulator stool, means to retain the cap plate on the insulator stool, and a pair of upstanding webless plates on said cap plate adapted to Yreceive the web of a third rail therebetween, and support the under portion of the head of the rail within the vvertical confines of the 1 on the insulator stool, and a pair of spaced w U-shaped plates secured by one leg of the U on said cap plate, and adapted to receive the web ofa T rail therebetween with the other leg of the U supporting the under portion of the head o-f the rail. l

3. In a support for railway rail conduits, in combination with a rail and an insulator therefor, a means to permanently retain said rail in inverted position wit-hin the vertical confines of the upper flange.

4. ln an insulating support for electric rail conduits, in combination with an insulator and an inverted T rail, a supporting cap shielding said insulator4 and provided with upstanding portions adapted to retain said rail in operative position and to` closely embrace the web thereof, to Vprevent accidental displacement.

' 5. In combination with an electric conduit of the third rail exposed type and a supportingy insulator therefor, a supporting cap comprising a base flanged to shield the insulator and upstanding outwardly ared sides to receive the rail in inverted position and to resiliently support the under side of the flange of said rail.

6. In combination with a support for a rail of the class described, an insulator firmly retained on the support, a supporting cap on said insulator and an inverted T rail adapted to be supported by the supporting cap, said cap being provided with upstanding sides closely embracing the web and under portion of the fiange of said rail and a cup rigidly fastened under the cap to prevent displacement of the cap from the insulator.

7. A track structure comprising a support provided with upwardly projecting and outwardly flared side plates and a rail provided with a tapered web, said side plates being adapted to receive the tapered web, and permit slight vertical movements thereof due to undue pressure.

8. A trackstructure comprising a support provided with a base portion, said base being considerably larger than the flange 0f the track to he supported thereon, an insulator apertured to receive said base, upstanding U-shaped side plates on said base, and an inverted rail to be received on the outwardly projecting portions of the side plat-e, the said construction being substantially of the rigidity of an I beam of the width of the base of the supporting cap.

9. As an article of manufacture, a cap for insulator stools comprising spaced U-shaped webless upstanding plates and a flanged insulator stool cap plate adapted to substantially cover said insulator stool and to support said upstanding plates.

l0. As an article of manufacture, an insulator stool cap comprising an enlarged cap plate to be securely retained on the insulator stool and to prevent water from collecting thereon and spaced webless upstanding plates to closely embrace the Iiange and head of an I rail and means to secure said cap plate and upstanding plates in permanent position to each other.

11. As an article of manufacture, a base member, means to retain said base member on an insulating stool, means to receive a third rail superposed on said base member, said receiving means comprising individual N projections extending on each side of said third rail web and solely within the vertical confines of the flange thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature to this specification.

,.0 CHLORITA SCOFIELD SCHMID,

J Eecutrz' of, the Last Will and Testament of Ernest E. Schmid, deceased.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature to this specification.

WILLIAM H. SCHNEIDER. 

